Robert K Dundas March 21, 1931- Nov 4, 2018
Bob passed away in his sleep in Tucson AZ, and departed the way he wanted to go…no ER nor stays and he left in his sleep at home.He had had a constant cough for months, and he recently lost his appetite. He will be cremated locally and interred at Arlington.Robert K. “Bob” Dundas attended Montana State University and received his commission from ROTC, graduating in 1954. He went to pilot training at Marana AZ and got an assignment to F-86s followed by an assignment to Korea, then F-100Cs at George AFB.
He was picked to ferry the “new” F-100D to France with KB-50 tankers and then assigned to the Mach 2 F-104 including two four-month rotations to Moron AB, Spain – how good could life be for a young fighter pilot? Well, not all good. Bob was the last pilot to eject “downward” from the 104 – the aircraft was then modified with an “upward” ejection seat.
Spangdahlem AB, Germany was next in the F-105, followed by a 100 mission tour in Vietnam with exciting SAM and MiG encounters. He returned for a second tour as an F-100 squadron commander at Tuy Hoa and 200 more combat missions.
He retired with 20 years service, five Distinguished Flying Crosses and 23 Air Medals.
This Day in History – June 10, 1969 – The X-15 gets a place in history
10 June 1969: The U.S. Air Force donated the first North American Aviation X-15, serial number 56-6670, to the Smithsonian Institution for display at the National Air and Space Museum. The first of three X-15A hypersonic research rocketplanes built by North American for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee (NACA, the predecessor of NASA), 56-6670 made the first glide flight and